7 books to read before they become movies this year

Is your New Year's resolution to smugly say "well, it wasn't as good as the book" while walking out of the cinema at least 10 times this year? Well, we're here to help.

As ever, there's a ton of big screen adaptations heading our way in 2014 and we've put together a list of the most vital books for you to get cracking on as prep work.

Under The Skin by Michel Faber

"Sexy female alien hunts down men" might sound like the plot of a Species rip-off but there's a lot more to this arthouse drama. The book was a cult hit, following the tale of a brutally efficient yet flawed alien as she stalks male hitchhikers in Scotland and the film has already gained a devoted following. Scarlett Johansonn takes on the lead role and while the big screen plot is said to deviate from the page, we'd recommend reading the book first anyway. Mainly because it's damn great.

A Long Way Down by Nick Hornby

After the success of Fever Pitch, About A Boy and High Fidelity, it's rather surprising that we haven't seen a Nick Hornby film since 2009's An Education. But this year offers up both a film that he's adapted from someone else, in the shape of Reese Witherspoon drama Wild, and an adaptation of A Long Way Down, his 2005 comedy about, well suicide. Okay so attempted suicide. The intriguing cast includes Toni Collette, Aaron Paul, Pierce Brosnan, Rosamund Pike, Imogen Poots and Sam Neill.

Before I Go To Sleep by SJ Watson

Imagine a remake of 50 First Dates but without any of the rom or the com. Then imagine Memento for a bit. But set in Hampstead. You should be close to Before I Go To Sleep. a deviously entertaining Hitchcockian thriller that was a literary smash upon release. The story of a woman who wakes up every morning not knowing how she got there has been wisely turned into a movie, boasting the not unattractive cast of Nicole Kidman, Colin Firth and Mark Strong.

All You Need Is Kill by Hiroshi Sakurazaka

This sci-fi take on Groundhog Day, sort of, has been renamed Edge of Tomorrow for the big screen which somehow makes even less sense than All You Need Is Kill. The original novel was by Japanese author Sakurazaka and was accompanies with detailed imagery while the film has been swerved towards a larger audience with Tom Cruise and Emily Blunt starring. You can see the trailer here.

Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

It says rather a lot about a book when the rights to the big screen adaptation are sold for $1.5 million and the director is none other than Oscar-nominated genius David Fincher, of Fight Club and Social Network fame. The much-talked about bestseller about a missing wife and a toxic marriage is a massively satisfying page-turner and the film promises to be one of the year's biggest movies, with Ben Affleck and Rosamund Pike onboard.

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Horns by Joe Hill

You can do a whole lot worse as an author than having Stephen King as your father. His knack for the macabre has trickled down to son Joe King, whose dark 2010 novel Horns makes its way to the multiplex this year, It follows the story of a young man cursed with actual horns which bring him terrifying powers. The movie stars Daniel Radcliffe and Juno Temple and is directed by horror expert Alexandre Aja.

A Most Wanted Man by John Le Carré

After the success of Oscar-nominated thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, John Le Carré novels are hot property once again. There's a Tinker sequel on the way and an adaptation of Our Kind of Traitor with Ewan McGregor but first, we've got this star-studded offering from director Anton Corbijn, who was behind the excellent Control. It centres on an illegal immigrant caught up in a terrorist plot. Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Daniel Bruhl, Robin Wright and Willem Dafoe head up the impressive cast.